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China Started the Trade War Years Ago

The US did not start the trade war, China did years ago. China used grossly imbalanced tariffs, regulations, forced joint ventures and flagrant massive IP theft.
All countries go through this phase and the US stole technology from others in our very early years. The difference is China made it a formal state sponsored and promoted policy at all levels on a massive scale with no regard to international treaties and laws. This doesn't even count the massive hacking by the Chinese government itself. All we are trying to do now is get China to join the ranks of world leaders and build a fair to all trade and IP policies that will benefit everyone especially China as they use their massive data base to promote and advance their industry and technologies. China has been pursing a full tilt trade war against not only the US, but the rest of the world. Setting up a fair system of regulations, tariffs and IP protection will benefit all and it's time for China to step up to the plate and help lead the world to a better place as the major world power they are.

All this is of the utmost importance to the semi/nanotech/software sector where IP is the new gold. China as a major world power should join the major powers and take their part in setting up a system that is fair and protects all, including them. It is far, far better if all major powers get together to advance not only themselves, but the smaller countries of the world.

The powers of collaboration that the tech sector has given the world is an asset of such staggering value that very few even recognize, but has already started paying massive dividends that have just started to roll in. The tech sectors around the world can no longer leave politics to the politicians and no matter what country they are in, must step up to the plate for the good of everyone. With the greatest revolution in the history of man of AI/ML we have to advance ourselves even more than advance our technology.

SemiWiki has already played a part in this and I am proud to be a contributing member.

If you talk to Chinese people, the trade wars started back with the unequal treaties over ports and rivers, the opium war where western powers forced China to tolerate foreign drug dealers, the carving of the country into spheres of control by western powers (including USA) that controlled the country up to the 1930s in one way or another, and continued as corrupt mercantilism under the Nationalists.

Now, you can read up on your history and make up your own mind, but the Chinese themselves look at it as "their turn" in control, and a program of restitution to put them on an equal footing which explicitly involved restricting foreigners. Not a hidden policy.

You will get further with China not by arguing the history - they have a LOT of bad stuff by foreigners to point to - but by getting to the crux of the issue - is the restitution phase over, do they want to be an equal player in an open system? Because it has got to the size where it looks at least that way to us. If they want a better future, they will need to rethink how they integrate with the rest of the world.

But of course this is complicated by a party system which sees no problem with total control domestically, and that of course includes total control of foreigners. So long as they seem to be succeeding in that, from their own point of view, they won't have incentive to change.

I have read Chinese history extensively. They made many of their own problems as most of us and most empires do. The Chinese have had the technological lead many times. They had steel in 200 BC when the Romans had only iron and bronze. They invented gun powder and the cannon among just a few of their inventions. The Chinese were truly the first technological empire and are among the most industrious and intelligent people on earth. China is on their fourth rise having led the world in wealth and technology three times. Like many great empires they hurt themselves with boondoggles like the Great Wall and tombs that took a staggering percentage of their resources. Chairman Mao did more damage to the intellectual and technical base than any outside power could ever do and set them back dramatically. Imagine if we took our engineers, people that drive the economy and had them work at crude farming for years, where would be now? They have now caught up and are now world leaders and should take their place at the table to become a solution and not a problem. It is now time for China to take the lead with others in the protection, use and dissemination of IP for their and the world's benefit, which they haven't. They are one of the key drivers of the world and others have allowed them plenty of leeway to catch up. It is now time for them to join other great powers at the table and help form a better world from which all will benefit. It would be nice if we could all play to our strengths and cooperate for many of our common goals by combining resources instead of massive military spending. The race should be to improve the lot of all. No one really wins a war military or commercial for it's the worst way of solving conflicts. War is the last refuge of the incompetent. The modern cyber platform is one of the most powerful concepts to come out of the tech revolution and is the best hope for advancing the interest of all, not just China and the US, but all.

We have shown what we can do and South Korea is an example, it is time for the Chinese to show what they can do with North Korea, so far they have failed horribly. So far this is an example of our intentions and which country would you rather live in. It is time for the Chinese to step up and be the great power they are. Almost all great empires have collapsed from the inside. I hope the great empires of the world can come to the table in a constructive way not only to benefit themselves but for the benefit of many who need their talents and help. We all live on a planet that is getting smaller all the time due to new technologies and living together should be the priority of all.

Update, China just attempted to steal Micron's technology and was busted by the Taiwan authorities. China is absolutely determined to keep acting as a criminal enterprise, unless they deal with it themselves. The decision is theirs, do they want to be recognized as a criminal state or a responsible player on the world stage. The world is awaiting their decision. Congratulations to the Taiwan authorities for their fast, decisive actions.

[URL="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/22/technology/china-micron-chips-theft.html"]Inside a Heist of American Chip Designs, as China Bids for Tech Power - The New York Times[/URL

With billions in business at stake this in just this one case, this is a criminal enterprise of unprecedented scale when the low estimate for IP. theft is two hundred billion plus. Actions like this harm everyone including the Chinese themselves. It is time for them to become the leaders that they can be.